


Marionette

by chosenkiing



Series: The Puppet King [2]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Blood, Character Death, M/M, Manipulation, Possessive Behavior, Torture, Unhealthy Relationships, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-21
Updated: 2017-03-21
Packaged: 2018-10-09 00:10:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10399296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chosenkiing/pseuds/chosenkiing
Summary: Mar·i·on·ette.A puppet worked from above by strings attached to its limbs.Naïve, little king… Did he truly believe his pickpocketing skills were remarkable enough to swipe the key from his pocket without the redhead noticing? Ah well… Mayhap it was time to reveal a little more of his true nature to his dear, distant nephew? He hadn’t intended to keep the young man completely in the dark forever——tempting though it was.This is “Clandestine” continued, but Ardyn-centric. Part of “The Puppet King” series.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Thought it might be a good idea to mention a few quick details that I haven’t covered that might be worth mentioning. Ardyn never joined up with Niflheim so they don’t possess any of the MT technology, meaning Prompto doesn’t exist. Ignis and Gladio never got the chance to bond with their charge due to Ardyn’s sudden appearance. The two are still around as part of the Kingsglaive, but don’t really know Noctis on a personal level. Oh, and Noctis never went to Tenebrae since Ardyn was perfectly capable of healing the princeling with his own abilities. 
> 
> Basically, what you need to know is Ardyn has pretty much completely isolated Noctis. ‘Cause in this scenario he’s kinda crazy possessive like that... >.>0

Noctis really was such an _innocent_ , little thing—it was easy to forget sometimes, what with the detached and indifferent façade he often displayed. Though for anyone that knew him well—namely Ardyn—that front was terribly easy to see through. He was an earnest, young man with a bleeding heart that Noctis himself seemed to despise given just how desperately he attempted to conceal it.

Even though Ardyn found his nephew’s façade pointless, it was endearing all the same, thus why he was aiming to send the raven-haired king away. He had no doubt he would remain in the younger man’s favor regardless, but he’d rather avoid him becoming even more cross with him should he watch what he had planned…

Simply put, Lunafreya had to die. He could give _countless_ reasons as to why, but the paramount of which was the peculiar influence she held over the Chosen King. Ardyn couldn’t risk the little Oracle overstepping her bounds. The immortal had been grooming his dear, puppet king since he was but a child—he would not tolerate having his control over the young man weakened, even _slightly_ so.

Noctis belonged to him. _No other._

“Ardyn, I…” the shorter male started, still caught within the immortal’s arms. He paused momentarily, seeming to debate his next words carefully, “I _can’t_ just hide away upstairs and pretend I don’t know what’s going on down here.” Ah yes, there it was: that kind and protective streak dear Noct was prone to. Appearing to have gathered some courage, he continued boldly, “If you just let me talk to her—”

“—Absolutely not,” Ardyn cut off, watching the other’s crystalline eyes widen in surprise. Normally, the redhead was far more patient with him, but this was a risk that he simply would not permit. Seeing the little king nearly gaping at him, he continued with a soft sigh as he tucked a few of Noctis’ dark, disheveled strands behind his ear, “I apologize, but for your sake I will not allow it.”

Raising a slender eyebrow, Noctis was clearly distressed, “What has you so paranoid, Ardyn? What could you possibly think she would say that would make me doubt you? Yeah sure, this—” he declared, untangling his hands from the Accursed’s wavy, burgundy strands before gesturing towards the now not-so-secret chamber, “—this is _really fucked up_. But even still I…” Gentle but conflicted, blue eyes avoided his amber gaze as he took a deep breath, as though he was readying himself. “Look, you’re really important to me, okay? No matter what happens, _that’s not gonna change_.”

Oh, such sweet naïveté that spilled from Noctis’ lips! Ardyn could sense the daemons within him stirring, begging and pleading him to allow them to ruin the Chosen King. To corrupt the precious, blinding light that flowed within his royal, Lucian veins… but he would not allow those daemons have their way.

_Such a privilege belonged to Ardyn alone._

Ignoring their tempting beckons, the immortal allowed his lips to curve into a deceitfully warm smile, “It’s a relief to hear as such. I do hope you recognize the sentiment is returned in kind, Noct,” he said affectionately, his fingers carefully massaging the small of the younger male’s back. “There is _nothing_ I would not do for you.”

As he was expecting, the king’s lips cracked a small, content smile, his cheeks still flushed from their little tryst only minutes ago. Ah, how fun it was to tug at his marionette’s strings~ How sweetly and obediently he danced for him!

Noctis’ relief was short-lived as a contemplative look crossed his face then, the crystalline blue of his eyes clearly displaying his inner turmoil over this obscure situation. “You really think Luna means us harm?” The King was seeking reassurance, was he? That was a sure sign that it was only a matter of time before he acquiesced…

Nodding briefly before resting his forehead upon the shorter man’s, Ardyn allowed his expression to turn somber, “I do.”

Subtly biting the inside of his cheek, Noctis was clearly distraught as his eyelids closed in thought. It seemed the young king really was quite fond of the blonde woman, and for a brief moment the immortal entertained the idea of allowing the Oracle to live. Perhaps if he were to cut out her tongue and remove her eyes…? The thought was quickly abandoned, however. It was still far from worth the risk, and he doubted Noctis would approve of the gesture, let alone have the stomach for such a sight. Maybe he would try to make it up to the young king some other way…

With an almost pained sigh, Noctis opened his crystalline orbs once again, “I guess… I should leave this to you then, huh?”

“Oh Noct,” the redhead sighed heavily, “this is the very reason I told you to keep your distance from here. I do hate to see you so upset.” Upset over someone other than him, that is. Ardyn _adored_ every expression the younger man made—so long as it was for him. Seeing Noctis in despair over another was trying his patience.

“Eh… sorry about that,” he murmured quietly, carefully wrapping his arms around Ardyn in a timid hug. “I just… I guess I wanted to know more about you. You don’t actually talk about your past—I got curious.”

“You silly boy,” Ardyn teased with chuckle. “How about I make you a deal?” Noctis glanced up at him to indicate he was listening, so the older man elaborated, “Run along to your chambers and await me there. When I return, I’ll share with you a story. Does that sound agreeable?”

“What do I look like to you? Ten?” The young king deadpanned, that sharp tongue of his making itself known.

Ardyn chuckled, shaking his head, “I think you’ll find there’s an interesting truth to many of the tales I’ve already shared with you, Noctis.”

“What are you talking about?” the other male questioned, eyebrow raised in confusion. “Pretty sure the only stories you told me were to help me go to sleep, and they sounded awfully farfetched for there to be any sort of ‘truth’ to them.”

“Oh, come now, _darling_ ,” Ardyn cooed, carefully sidling next to the shorter male as he ushered him to the previously locked door, away from the morbid chambers. “You _loved_ my stories. And they weren’t just to lull you into slumber—I coaxed you into waking with them as well, sleeping beauty. Back then you said they were the best part of being awake,” he teased, chuckling at the memory.

Ah yes. For quite some time the child king had refused to go to bed alone. It seemed his father’s death left him terrified of going to sleep without his uncle nearby. With a bit of urging, he’d gotten the child to admit why…

What a shame that the only night Regis hadn’t tucked him in had been the night he died. Terrible _coincidence_ , that. _Certainly_ not planned.

“Yeah well, you should be flattered,” Noctis sighed in exasperation at his uncle’s teasing. “It’s pretty damn hard to beat sleep.”

“Oh my! I _surpassed_ sleep? It seems I’m a better raconteur than I previously thought,” the taller male exclaimed with a dramatic flair. “My King, you should have told me sooner. I still have _countless_ stories I could share with you.”

The king let out an undignified snort at Ardyn’s antics, “You’re ridiculous. I’m heading back to my room.”

“Very well,” he chuckled, unlocking the door and opening it for the young royal, “I’ll meet you there soon.”

Hesitating, Noctis stalled in the threshold before speaking, “Just… do me a favor. I know I don’t have any right to ask this of you—especially after stealing your key and shit—but please make it quick. I just… I don’t think I can handle the idea of her suffering.”

The Accursed felt his brow twitch in frustration at the request. Even after all of this, Noctis’ thoughts were still partially with his fiancée, were they? As much as he _adored_ the young king’s bleeding heart, he didn’t like the idea of it bleeding for others.

_All the more reason the Oracle needed to die…_

“As you wish, Your Majesty,” Ardyn bowed theatrically before straightening and grasping the other’s chin firmly. Coaxing the younger male into meeting his golden gaze, he began, “I do have a request for you in return, however.” Without awaiting a response, the immortal continued, his lips curving into an almost dangerous smile, “Promise me you won’t linger on this. She’s hardly worthy of your distress, much less your tears.”

Noctis appeared to have been rendered speechless for a moment, the demand having caught him off guard. Regaining some of his composure, the young man gave a slight, hesitant nod, “I promise I… I’ll do my best.”

“Very good. I’m relieved to hear it,” he hummed approvingly. Before the other had time to react, Ardyn pressed firm kiss upon the other’s mouth, nipping sharply at his bottom lip before pulling away. The immortal felt a sense of satisfaction as he watched a bright blush spread across Noctis’ face, the pink tint traveling all the way to his ears. “I’ll see you soon, _Noct~_ ” he murmured lowly before releasing the younger man.

The raven-haired king was quick to make his retreat, slipping out into the hallway without another word. Ardyn continued to watch, appreciating the young man’s posture and gait before it disappeared around a corner. His ‘nephew’ really did have such an exquisite figure…

With that squared away however, he still had a lovely, little princess of Tenebrae to deal with—and he’d rather finish up that messy business before Gentiana got involved. Though perhaps the most peaceful of the Six, the Glacian was still a force to be reckoned with, and certainly not someone he wanted anywhere near Noctis.

Ardyn’s lips twitched into a twisted smile as he sauntered back into the circular chamber. A dark chuckle emanated from the immortal as he approached the captured Oracle, her eyes surprisingly fierce despite her dire situation. “It would seem the King of Kings has left your fate in my hands, Lady Lunafreya. You did leave quite an impression on him though,” the redhead nearly spat, his distaste apparent.

“Even so, it was all for naught,” he dismissed with a wave of his hand. “After all, what conceivable reason does he have to trust a princess he’s only met a few months ago? Especially over the man who’s served and looked after him for _years_...”

The blonde woman made an incoherent sound, the cloth in her mouth thoroughly muffling and distorting her words. “Oh? Did you have something to say, _little princess_?” he mocked, before humoring Lunafreya and removing the makeshift gag.

“You’re the one responsible for the daemon outbreak at the Citadel, aren’t you? The incident that killed King Regis twelve years ago?” she accused, words and voice steady despite her labored breaths. She was right, but he was surprised she’d come to such a conclusion. “You just swooped in like a vulture while Noctis was grieving, didn’t you?”

The immortal chuckled, “That’s a rather bold allegation, don’t you think? How do you suppose little old me managed such a feat?”

Lunafreya kept her azure gaze steady as she looked her captor in the eye, “You and I both know exactly what you are, Ardyn Lucis Caelum, pitiable Accursed of years past—”

A sharp slap cut the Oracle’s sentence short.

“Don’t pity me, little princess,” he hissed, the tight control he’d had over his temper finally snapping, “You’ve been fed only half-truths spun by _silver-tongued Astrals_ who do little more than _sit on their asses_.”

Roughly yanking the woman’s suspended body forward by her long hair, Ardyn allowed his form to shift, his daemons beginning to surface. Tanned skin turned sickly gray as his sclera grew black. Dark rivulets of the scourge dripped from his eyes and down his cheeks, bearing an almost mocking resemblance to tears. “It is I who pities _you_ , young Oracle. They force others such as yourself into cleaning up their messes rather than displaying some humility and admitting they made a mistake.”

“They have shown their humility by requesting _our_ help,” Luna insisted faithfully, wincing from the pain in her scalp.

“Is that what you believe? That they’re ‘ _requesting_ ’ your help? Dear girl, you’re more of a fool than I thought you were. As gods, they manipulate and they control, it’s their nature.” The immortal knew better than anyone just how cruel the Six could be…

“And you think it’s somehow more humane for you to be the one pulling the strings of the Chosen King?” she quipped, the allegation causing the redhead’s eyebrow to twitch in annoyance.

“ _Unlike you,_ ” he hissed sharply, “ _I won’t allow them to sacrifice Noctis._ ” The accusation was quick to leave his mouth, causing the princess’ eyes to widen at his words, and Ardyn realized his slipup a little too late. Irritated and unwilling to continue their discussion, he summoned a blade and swiftly drove it between Lunafreya’s ribs before she had another chance to speak.

“You’re… _f-fond_ of him…” she still managed to gasp through pained breaths, much to his dismay.

Rolling his eyes, Ardyn’s lips twitched into a crooked smile, “It’s only natural to be fond of one’s _possessions_.” Twisting the hilt, the daemon’s smirk widened at the woman’s scream, the black sludge of the Starscourge now dripping from his lips.

“He is mine of his own accord, and I will do with him as I please,” Ardyn declared possessively, allowing the summoned blade to return to his Armiger. In its wake, a gaping hole was left in Tenebrae’s princess. He watched with satisfaction as the Oracle’s holy blood poured from the wound, staining her once pristine garments as her body began to go limp.

Wrenching back the woman’s head with the hand that was still tangled in her hair, the Accursed leaned forward and whispered ominously, “It would seem victory belongs to me, my fair lady. You have fallen.”

Releasing his hold upon her blonde strands, the immortal took a step back as he attempted to recompose himself, reigning in his daemonic appearance. Lunafreya’s accusation had touched a nerve, one he’d taken great care to pretend didn’t exist. She was surprisingly observant for someone who should have been terrified, and it vexed him.

At least he wouldn’t have to deal with her interfering any longer, though it was a bit of a shame. He’d been looking forward to thoroughly torturing the young woman who’d been declared the future Queen.

But then he’d went and promised Noct he would end it quickly…

He supposed that only served to prove there was _some_ truth in the Oracle’s revelation, much to his irritation.

And honestly, in a strange, sick and twisted manner, Ardyn knew he did love Noctis—or at least what little humanity remained of him did. Perhaps it was the daemons imprisoned within him that warped his affections, twisting it into something _forbidden and cruel_ , something that had spun _far_ out of his control.

Regardless, _something_ within him had changed the first moment he’d met the princeling. What had started as a plan to exact his revenge had become something else entirely the moment those beautiful, lonely, crystalline eyes looked up at him. They overflowed with more anguish and tears than should have been possible for one so young, almost as though he already knew the _horrors_ that fate had in store for him. And now he would be forced to confront it all _alone_ with no one to help guide him.

He was a naïve, young boy, destined to be used by the gods and then _discarded_. In Noctis, Ardyn saw a kindred spirit, a soul _so very much like his own_. And maybe… just _maybe_ he could save him…

**_… the way he could not save himself._ **


End file.
